Nottingham Forest have begun discussions with former Wolves manager Vitor Pereira following the dismissal of Sean Dyche after just 114 days at the helm.
Forest were held to a goalless draw at home by bottom-placed Wolves on Wednesday, leaving the team just three points above the Premier League relegation zone with 12 matches remaining.
Sources told BBC Sport that Pereira is a frontrunner to succeed Dyche, having previously worked with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis at Greek club Olympiacos.
The 57-year-old Portuguese was praised for keeping Wolves in the Premier League last season, having joined midway through the campaign, though he was sacked in November after the team collected just two points from 10 matches.
Dyche’s departure marks Forest’s search for a fourth permanent head coach this season.
Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked just three matches into the 2025-26 season, and Ange Postecoglou lasted only 39 days after replacing him in October.
“Nottingham Forest Football Club can confirm that Sean Dyche has been relieved of his duties as head coach,” the club said in a statement. “We would like to thank Sean and his staff for their efforts during their time at the club and we wish them the best of luck for the future. We will be making no further comment at this time.”
Dyche took over when Forest were 18th in the table, having managed just one win in eight games.
After a 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth in his first match, the former Burnley and Everton manager guided Forest to four wins and one draw in seven games, temporarily steering the club clear of the drop zone.
However, a run of four consecutive defeats was followed by a four-match unbeaten streak, including a 2-1 win at fellow strugglers West Ham and a resilient goalless draw with leaders Arsenal.
Despite this, improved form from Leeds United and West Ham has kept Forest embroiled in the relegation fight.
In Europe, Forest finished 13th in their Europa League group, claiming four wins, two draws, and two losses.
They will face Turkish side Fenerbahce over two legs this month for a place in the last 16, with the first leg scheduled for Thursday, 19 February.
Forest have already exited both domestic cup competitions, losing 3-2 to Swansea under Postecoglou in the EFL Cup and falling on penalties to Wrexham in the FA Cup under Dyche.
After being in contention for Champions League qualification last season, Forest picked up just eight points from their final eight matches, ultimately finishing seventh and qualifying for the Conference League.
They were later placed in the Europa League after Crystal Palace were deemed to have breached multi-club ownership rules.
Dyche, who had a brief spell as a Forest youth player under Brian Clough in the late 1980s, never made a first-team appearance.
He previously managed Everton for just under two years before his sacking in January 2025 and spent nearly a decade at Burnley, achieving two promotions and securing European qualification for the club for the first time since 1967.
Following the Wolves draw on Wednesday, Dyche appeared aware that change was imminent. “The owner has been fair to me, without a shadow of a doubt. If anyone chooses to change in football now, that’s their decision. We’ve all seen it,” he said. “People can demand change, and then it’s always whether they change or not. If the owner wants to make a change then that’s up to him, and that’s the way football is now, that’s just the reality of it. I understand the noise here has changed significantly since the last few games.”
Despite arriving in challenging circumstances, Dyche initially steadied the ship, winning seven of his first 12 matches.
If Forest’s results were measured solely from his tenure, they would be mid-table, six points clear of third-from-bottom Tottenham. He was even nominated for Premier League manager of the month recently, after recording two wins and one loss from his past six games.
Ex-England striker Alan Shearer expressed support for Dyche shortly before his dismissal, saying, “I think with his know-how and his experience in the Premier League, I would without a doubt stick with Sean.”
Former Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy added, “I think for this battle at the bottom you wouldn’t want a better manager than him. He’s been there, done it, he stays calm. I think they’d be crazy to get rid of him.
“The other thing as well I suppose for Marinakis is if it wasn’t for him they wouldn’t be in the Premier League and they wouldn’t be in Europe. So maybe he’s got the right to do what he wants, but I don’t think there’s a manager you could bring in who is as capable as [Dyche] in this fight.”
Forest’s managerial carousel this season has been dramatic. Nuno lasted just 23 days before departing due to a breakdown in relationships with global sporting director Edu and owner Marinakis.
Postecoglou lasted 39 days, while Dyche made it past the 100-day mark before exiting after 114.
Forest’s struggles this season are rooted in internal instability. From Nuno’s fallouts to Postecoglou’s high-press system clashing with the squad’s previous style, and Dyche’s brief but initially stabilizing tenure, the club has lurched from crisis to crisis.
Despite seven wins in his first 12 matches, only two victories in the last 10 league games and an FA Cup exit to Wrexham saw faith in Dyche evaporate.
Once a club competing for European places and aiming for a return to the Champions League, Forest now face a season that has fallen far short of expectations.
After spending £180m and finishing seventh last season, the Premier League survival fight is a very real possibility.
